Ole Ivar Lovaas is a clinical psychologist consiered one of the fathers of applied behavior analysis therapy for autism through his development of the Lovaas technique and the first to provide evidence that the behavior of autistic children can be modified through teaching, though many critics thought his original claims of effectiveness were overstated. His original findings have now been replicated via independent peer reviewed studies. In his original studies in the late 1950's aversives such as electric shock successfully treated approximately 50% of individuals engaging in instances of extreme self-injury whose life expectancy was reduced by secondary infection. During the time of these studies it was discovered that the professionals in these institutional settings inadvertently reinforced self-injury with attention. Subsequent studies relied on extinction, in these cases, giving attention when not engaging in self-injury.